Electric switching mechanism.



J. S. HARLEY. ELECTRIC SWITCHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY22,1911.

Patented July 9, v1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN S. HARLEY, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SIGNALING COMPANY, OF LA CROSSE, WIS- CONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCHING MECHANISM. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1912.

Application filed May 22, 1911. Serial No. 628,874.

To all what it may concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at- Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switching Mechanism, of which. the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new form of switching device for automatically closing certain circuits and opening others with absolute precision and certainty.

In certain fire alarm systems, such for example as that described in my application, Serial Number ($28,873, dated May 22, 1911, for fire alarm system, a plurality of circuits are used one of which may be closed at all times and the others open at all times, breakage of the closed circuit being designed to operate means to close the open circuit and thereby set in operation signaling and .alarm devices. My switching device provides the means whereby through the operation of one circuit the said switching device may be caused to operate one or more additional circuits, either by closing some of them and opening others or otherwise, as desired.

In the drawings illustrating the application of my invention in one form,Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of my switching mechanism in position to be operated. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of my mechanism after the same has been operated. A switchboard 5 has secured thereto a pair of cars 6 and 7 between which is pivoted abar 8 of rectangular cross section, as shown in section in Figs. 1 and 3, said bar being provided with 'trunnions 9 forming bearings for the same in the ears 6 and 7.

Rigidly secured to the bar 8 midway of the ends thereof is an arm 10 having an outwardly extended weighted end 11. The arm 10 is provided with a hook 12 extending inwardly from said arm when the same is in.

raised position and adapted to cooperate in a vertical plane when in such position with a hook 13 pivoted at 14: to a member 15 secured tothe switchboard 5 the coaction of the hooks 12 and 13' holding arm 10 in "raised position so that when hook 13 is lifted arm 10, under the influenceof gravity. acting upon the weighted end 11, is free to. fall, As shown, the book 13 is connected to armature 16 of relay 17, in the normally open circuit of which connecting wires 18 and 19 are a part. WVhen said open circuit is closed it operates to lift armature 1G and attached hook 13 thereby releasing member 10 and permitting it to fall. In this connection it may be stated, however, that a re versal of this condition whereby relay 17 is in a closed circuit, the opening of which will permit armature 16 to fall and thereby release member 10, is contemplated by me and falls within the scope of my invention. l/Vires 20, 21and 22, 23 are connected with contacts 24, 25 and 26, 27, respectively, said wires being a part of a main signaling circuit. The double break in the said signaling circuit thus provided is adapted to be closed by means of knife switches 28, 29 rigidly secured to the cross bar 8, such knife switches being wedgeshaped in cross section, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The upper ends of contacts 24, 25, 26, 27 are formed of spring metal and bifurcated. When member 10 is released and permitted to fall the knife-like switch members 28, 29 are forced between the bifurcated ends of said contacts thereby having perfect circuit-closing engagement with said contacts.

In the operation of the system described in the above enumerated application or in other systems where it is desirable to actuate signaling means located at the fire station or some other central station, an independent circuit is employed which may be a closed circuit, and my switching device is provided with means for opening said closed circuit at the same time that the signaling circuit within the building is closed.

tact 31 by means of a projection 36 on said arm 10. hook 37 which extends vertically upwardly when the member 10 is in its raised position, said hook 37 in such position engagin beneath the extended end 38 of the switc 35.

When, thereicrethe member 10; falls the The arm 10 is provided with a- Will operate to lift the switch irrl ig'. 3, thus breaking the fire circuit. (in account of the member Ing hinged to con'acli 30 in such inanto have frictionally retarded or stiff movement, such switch n'leinber will remain in its disconnecting position until member 10 is raised and switch 35 pushed back by projection it is sometimes desirable, aflt'ter circuit ineluding relay 1'? has been closed and member 10 released, to re-open said circuit. This may be accomplished automatically by providing in connection with the Wire 19"and an intermediate Wire 39 a spring contact 4:0

which may be operated by a nose 41 formed on the end of the member 10 below its point of connection to bar 8. When member 10 falls the action of noseetl upon spring contact 40 will be to break the relay cir-' cuit, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of my switching device has been very fully given in connection with the detailed description thereof, and certain olfaction and maybe readily adapted to close or open. any desired number of circuits simultaneously, or open some of said circuits and close others, as shown,

I claim:

1. In an electric system, a plurality of electric circuits, a switchboard Where said circuits center provided With contacts breaking said circuits, :1 switch pivoted to a contact of one of said circuits adapted to close the same, a Weighted pivoted arm, means to hold said arm in. raised position, means operated by one of said circuits to release said arm, a projection on said arm adapted to en gage the pivoted switch-and force the same into position to close the circuit when said arm is raised, and a hook-like member eX- tendingbeneath and engaging the free end of said switch and adapted to lift the same to open the circuit at the moment when the arm starts to descend.

It is simple.

and holdin ing to cause said second projection to indepencent "switch and open the close-l cirn elm-,liril': srysleln comprising a phi-- :lr'w ls, one f which is l open, a pivoll-d' bar. lmit'c ly secured by non-mudacting ineans'to said bar, a. weighted arm scoured at one end to said .bar, means for holding; said a in raised, a rcbr in another circuit, i of said relay operating); to release d permit grax'ily to operate the same and cause the knife. switches to close the open circuit, means for breaking the relay'circnit, and means on the arm whereby the falling thereof will operale said relay circnitbrcalr means.

in an eiectric syslciucomprising a plurality of ele. in circuits and a relay in one off said Cll'Cl.iltS,-l circuit closing and opening device comprising a pivoted bar, a plura ityooi knife switches rigid on the bar adaiitcd to close a circuit i'lornially open, an independent switch piroted to contact 01 another circuit normally closed and adapted to open said circuit, a Weighted arm rigidly secured. to the bar neurone end of said arm,

means for holding said arm in raised position, part of said means being coni'iected lib the armature of the relay which is operative' to release said arm, a projection on the-arm engaging said independent sit" ch it in circuit-closing poi tron when the arm raised, and a second p ojection ending l'lpwardly from the pivoted end or the arm beneath the free end of the independent snitch, when the ari'n is in raised posilion, falling of said arm operat litt the cuit and the kniie switcl. es to close e open Cli'Cull in testimony whereof I aflix my s1 in of two witnesses.

JUL i'l S. HARLEY.

"T'YI-LV m N n H l messes A, WI-ii array, 

